


Lift the world that is hanging on me

by bchekov



Category: Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (TV 2016)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, dirk is a good boyfriend, hints of angst but nothing much, todd is emotionally constipated, todd paints dirk's nails
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-18
Updated: 2018-02-18
Packaged: 2019-03-20 20:55:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13725792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bchekov/pseuds/bchekov
Summary: “I want yellow nails,” he settles on the sofa, facing Todd’s direction. “It goes with my jacket.”





	Lift the world that is hanging on me

“Todd,” Dirk whines, dragging out the o.

Todd shoots him an annoyed look. “What?” he finally snaps. Dirk considers it a small victory. It must show on his face because Todd narrows his eyes.

“Will you paint my nails?” he asks. All Todd’s annoyance visibly turns into confusion.

“What?” he asks.

Dirk fakes a look of hurt, going as far as putting a hand on his chest for dramatic effect. “I asked you to paint my nails. Do you happen to have something against men painting their nails?” he says, jokingly. “Or maybe you’re just bad at it?” he drops his hand and furrows his brows. “Because if that’s the problem there’s no need to worry, you can’t be worse than me. I tried it once for Pride a few years back and it was an _utter mess_. I got it _everywhere_ and I kept accidentally brushing my still wet nails against stuff, which made me need start over to get it right so they never dried. I never want to go through that again.”

Todd stares at him, lying draped across the sofa like a blanket and ranting on about nail polish, and smiles fondly. Dirk sees it and considers it another win.

“You know I have nothing against men painting their nails. I had black nails all throughout high school, you’ve seen the photos.” Todd scratches his cheek and looks away.

“I know,” Dirk assures him. “I was kidding- but not about me being awful at painting nails. That part is painfully true.”

It earns him a laugh in the form of an exhale. Dirk positively beams.

“Sure,” Todd gives in, still smiling. “I don’t have any nail polish here though.”

Dirk jumps up, and darts into their bedroom. “I got some the other day actually,” he says and reappears with four tiny bottles of red, yellow as well as neon and pastel pink. Todd couldn’t have been less surprised with his choice of colors.

“I want yellow nails,” he says excitedly and hands Todd the bottle with his color of choice before setting the others down on the table in front of them. He settles on the sofa, facing Todd’s direction. “It goes with my jacket.”

Todd notices it’s the exact same shade and briefly wonders how he found it before sitting down next him.

“Give me your hand.”

Todd’s hand is cold holding Dirk’s warm one. It feels nice. He finds it romantic that they balance each other out like that, not just temperature but in everything. Todd is the one that keeps him grounded after nightmares when he’s not thinking clearly and he returns the favor by holding him and stroking his forehead after particularly bad attacks. He has lived most of his life without Todd, so he knows what it’s like, but he can’t begin imagine continuing without him would be like.

Lost in thought, he doesn’t notice Todd talking to him until he pinches his wrist.

“Ow!” Dirk retracts his hand and holds it to his chest, mindful of his nails. “That hurt! What is wrong with you?!”

Todd looks him dead in the eye and raises his eyebrows in a way that says _really_. It shouldn’t look cute but it does and Dirk has to suppress a smile.

“I was asking you why you wanted them painted now of all times?” he says, still looking unimpressed.

 _Because you’ve been tense all morning and I know you won’t talk about it so i wanted to distract you._ “Why not?” Dirk says instead and shrugs. “It’s not like either of us have anything better to do.”

Todd nods slowly. “I suppose you’re right... Now, give me your hand again before you mess up your nails.” Dirk wordlessly does as told.

Silence settles over them and Dirk watches the tension drain from Todd’s body. He’s slouching now, side pressed against the couch, looking more relaxed than Dirk has seen him all week. He watches his face, eyes soft and mouth curled into a slight smile, and despite its peacefulness the expression makes his heart race.

“Done.” Todd says after a few more minutes. The polish Dirk had bought was thin so he had to layer it to get full opacity.

Dirk brings his hands to his face and flexes his fingers. “Thank you! They look much better than they would if I had done it on my own!” he shifts his gaze to Todd who is fiddling with the hem of his shirt.

“I used to paint Amanda’s nails all the time when she was younger. She was kind of the reason I started painting my own in my teens.” he looks wistful and Dirk immediately realizes his sister is connected to why he was so on edge earlier.

“Wanna match?” he blurts out. Todd gives him a confused look. “I mean, obviously not match _match_. While you look stunning in just about everything yellow is not your color.” this earns him a chuckle that makes his heart swell. “I should’ve gotten purple instead of two pinks, you would have looked great in purple… Not that you don’t look great in pink.”

“Well I, thanks?” Todd starts, not sure what to say but smiling nonetheless.

“You’re welcome. Now, what do you prefer, neon or pastel?”

“Neon, maybe?”

“Neon it is. Do you want to paint them yourself or should I make an attempt? I won’t promise anything though. Especially not a good result.” 

Todd laughs one of those laughs where you fold in on yourself and close your eyes. It sounds so gleeful Dirk can’t help but join him.

“That,” Todd begins, wiping his eye. “sounds like a good idea. You do it. I want to know if you’re as bad as you say.”

When Dirk is done he’s gotten polish on both their shirts, the couch and somehow in his hair. His nails look horrendous, with polish staining his fingers and his nails not being properly filled in, but he loves it and makes sure to tell his boyfriend exactly that.


End file.
